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Andre 3000 credits Prince for Outkast’s comeback success

COMEBACK: Outkast's "comeback" concerts have been selling out all summer. Photo: Associated Press

Outkast star Andre 3000 insists fans should thank his hero Prince for the success of the group’s 20th anniversary festival tour – because his advice helped the singer get into the right mindset for the shows.

The “Ms. Jackson” hitmaker admits he was worried Outkast’s big comeback show at Coachella in April would be a big let down for fans – because he couldn’t summon up the passion he needed to wow them.

He tells the New York Times, “I kind of fluffed through rehearsals (and) a few hours before the Coachella show, I get a message that Prince and Paul McCartney are going to be there. My spirit is not right, and idols are standing side-stage, so as the show started, I’m bummed. This is horrible. In my mind I was already gone to my hotel room halfway through.”

Two days after the show, Andre 3000 received a phone call from Prince, who set him straight.

He recalls, “It was my first time actually talking to Prince. He said, ‘When you come back, people want to be wowed. And what’s the best way to wow people? Just give them the hits’.

“He broke it down like this: ‘You’re a grown man. You’re either going to do it or you’re not’.”

The chat prompted the singer, real name Andre Benjamin, to stop over-thinking his act and to start enjoying himself onstage in front of fans who were thrilled to see him perform.